1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) service, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for performing network registration.
2. Description of the Related Art
VoIP networks generally rely on a session initiation protocol (SIP) registration method to identify the IP Address of devices on the network. These devices send SIP REGISTER messages, which function as indications about the device's connectivity, to SIP registration servers containing information about the location of the device. The SIP REGISTER method also serves as a means to indicate to the SIP registration server that the device is still currently active. However, in order to maintain knowledge of the device and location, SIP REGISTER messages must be sent at regular and frequent intervals from the device to the SIP registration servers. Pushing the SIP REGISTER message often imposes a burden on the device and consumes a significant amount of power, especially in the case of mobile devices such as cellular telephones or tablet computers. The SIP REGISTER messages may shorten the battery life of the device, interfere with network speed, or cause undesirable behavior in device functionality and software functionality.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for performing network registration from alternate sources other than a device executing a VoIP application.